Bijan Najdi’s Stories

This project was based on the stories of Bijan Najdi (1941–1997), an Iranian writer, poet, and mathematician. Najdi is best known for his 1994 short story collection The Leopards Who Have Run with Me, which received the Gardoun award and is considered one of the most important collections of modern Iranian literature.

Born in Khash, Iran, Najdi grew up in Rasht and earned an M.A. in Mathematics. His life was marked by personal tragedy and intense experiences, including participating in the Iran-Iraq war. These experiences shaped the dark, often bitter tone of his stories, which captivated me deeply.

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A Swallow’s Diary

A Swallow’s Diary is a collection of digital illustrations I share on Instagram, capturing fleeting moments, thoughts, and reflections from everyday life. These pieces function as a visual diary, blending personal observations with imaginative touches, and allowing me to explore ideas, moods, and stories in a spontaneous, intimate way.

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My Moleskine

My Moleskine is a collection of illustrations created with rapidograph and marker in my Moleskine notebooks. Like A Swallow’s Diary, these works act as a personal visual diary, capturing moments, thoughts, and small stories from everyday life. The medium allows for precision and immediacy, turning each page into an intimate exploration of observation, reflection, and creativity.

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Enchanted Whispers

This tarot deck is a collage of miniatures from Aja’ib al-Makhluqat, a 13th-century illustrated encyclopedia by Zakariya al-Qazwini. The book is one of the most famous works of Islamic literature and art, depicting wonders of the natural world, celestial phenomena, mythical creatures, and marvels of creation through richly detailed miniatures.

I created the deck in 2024, and it will be published by U.S. Games Systems.

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Seljuq Tarot

This tarot deck is inspired by the decorative style of miniatures from the Seljuq era, blending historical ornamentation with the structure of the Rider-Waite deck. Each card reinterprets classic tarot archetypes through the intricate patterns and aesthetics of Seljuq art.

I created the deck in 2023, and it will be published by U.S. Games Systems.

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Nane Sarma

Nane Sarma is a beautifully illustrated children’s book based on the Persian legend of Nane Sarma and Amu Nowrouz. Nane Sarma, the embodiment of winter, eagerly waits for Amu Nowrouz, who brings spring, but falls asleep before he arrives. When she wakes, the world has transformed, and she must wait another year for their paths to cross.

The story celebrates love, patience, and the changing seasons, connected to Nowruz, the Persian New Year, a 3,000-year-old tradition marking spring and renewal.

I illustrated this project in 2020, bringing the tale to life with Persian folk art and playful imagery.

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Azzizzari Tarot

The Azzizzari Tarot is a deck in which all figures are female, created to focus on experiences related to breast cancer. The deck is inspired by the story that we are made from soil and water, like clay shaped by a divine hand and laid in the sun to be prepared. The divine touches our center to see if we are ready, and the mark of this touch is our belly button.

Because of this story, all the figures in the deck are clay-colored, reflecting the earth and the process of preparation, resilience, and strength that comes from facing life’s challenges. Some cards show signs of surgery—details meant to remind us to listen to our bodies and honor the deep growth and inner power that can emerge after illness.

This is one of my latest projects, and it will be available on Kickstarter in October 2025.

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4 Maqam

Four Maqam is a series of illustrations I created for a music album, based on four folk stories. Two are from Iranian tradition—Savar Savar and Khan Amiri—and two from Turkish tradition—Ötme Bülbül Ötme and Divan Improvisation with Semah.

In these works, I visually interpreted the narratives and the rhythm of the music, translating each story into imagery that reflects its mood, symbolism, and cultural essence. Together, the series forms a bridge between music and visual storytelling, connecting these diverse folk traditions through illustration.

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